Someone Saved My Life Tonight
by Beautiful Secrets
Summary: /3of4 - Tony/Kristi\   Sequel to 'Need You Now' . The team - with newest recruits Kristi & Mallory - search for a sailor's killer, and two armed terrorists who nearly succeeded in murdering an NCIS agent.
1. Five Years and a Full House

_Days had turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Months into years. _

_ Noah DiNozzo was fourteen, and was attending Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in D.C., roughly a half-hour drive from NCIS Headquarters. Kristi loved the drive, though, whether she was driving him, or Tony was – it gave them each a chance to talk to Noah. Even though Noah was getting to that point in his teen years where he should hate his parents, and refuse to speak, he enjoyed the time too – he was just better at hiding it._

[PAGE BREAK]

Kristi poked her head out of the bathroom, her hands yanking her brush through her hair.

"Noah! Please tell me you're ready to go!" she hollered towards her son's bedroom, before stepping back into the bathroom to get the band around her ponytail.

"Ma! Really? I've been ready for fifteen minutes! Maybe dad just should have taken me," he said, shaking his head and flopping onto the couch. Kristi paused, and sighed, before flipping off the bathroom light and making her way towards the living room.

"If your dad hadn't shut off the alarm, you and I would be on the road without the need to speed," she said, before pausing, and moving quickly back to the bedroom. Returning with her badge and her bag, she sighed. "Get up, let's go. We're gonna fly," Kristi said, somewhat reluctantly, before ushering Noah out the door.

She whipped the car up into her parking place at NCIS, and climbed out, jogging inside and skipping the elevator to get upstairs without the wait. Upon arrival at her desk, she tossed her bag, stuffed her badge and gun into her drawer, and turned around, leaning over the wall dividing her desk from Ziva's.

"Good morning, McGee…Ziva,"' she said, smiling at the two of them, and turning a scowl on Tony. He frowned, but then grinned at her innocently.

"Trouble getting up this morning?" Ziva asked, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I did. Just…not in time…It's amazing how fast I can get from the apartment to the school and back here. Never made that time in my life," she snickered, shaking her head before flopping into her chair.

"Don't get comfortable, Reis. You're with us – we got a dead sailor," Gibbs announced as he walked between desks to grab his gun and badge, and head to the elevator. Jumping up, she grabbed her bag, and scooted into the elevator directly behind Gibbs.

She kneeled beside the body, bagging small pieces of scrap and evidence that were near the victim's head, as Ducky pulled up. He exited the driver's side, and moved around to the back, opening the doors. A moment later, he, Palmer, and Mallory emerged from the back of the van, and approached the body, Mallory with her camera around her neck.

"I hope you haven't moved that body, Kristi," Ducky called before setting the cases down. Kristi chuckled, and stood up, moving away from the victim.

"Have I ever, without your permission?" she pointed out, smiling at Mallory. Mallory smiled at Kristi before stepping to the foot of the victim, and raising her camera.

"Is it bad that I have the urge to tell him to say Cheese, and Pose for the Camera, Uncle DD?" Mallory questioned sheepishly, and quietly, glancing over the viewfinder to see Ducky. He snickered slightly, before shaking his head.

"Somewhat, dear, but so long as you actually _don't_…then I think it's okay," he said, tilting the victim's head to the side.

"What've ya got, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, jogging up behind the crew.

Ducky didn't answer right away – he looked over the body, checked the fingers, the neck, and the abdomen while waiting for Palmer to arrive with the body bag.

"As usual, Jethro, I won't know cause until we get this one home….but it appears that he was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen…and once, here," he said, tilting the head away from them before motioning his fingers over a wound in the back of the neck, "though I can't possibly see why…"

"Keep me updated…DiNozzo! McGee!" Gibbs hollered, turning around. "You both better be baggin!" he called, moving towards the rest of the team. Mallory watched him for a moment, before stepping away from the body, and snapping a few shots from around the body.

"…Uncle DD? Is he always like this?" she asked gently, crouching to the ground so he could hear her, and Gibbs could not. Ducky nodded slightly, glancing behind him at Gibbs.

"Most times, yes…but you get used to it….or you don't, I suppose it would just depend," he chuckles. Giggling, Mallory finished snapping photographs before stepping out of the way so Palmer could help Ducky bag the body.

[PAGE BREAK]

Kristi climbed out of her chair, and walked behind the neighboring desk, leaning across to toss the papers clipped in her hand onto Gibbs' chair.

"Anyone seen Gibbs?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Tony's head was ducked as he concentrated on his computer, and Ziva had her phone pressed against her ear. McGee glanced around, and shook his head.

"Either out for coffee, or talking to the Director…or down with Ducky…or…" Kristi, chuckling, waved her hand.

"I get it…" She paused for a second, and looked over her shoulder as her phone began to ring, before smiling at McGee, and moving to answer it. "Reis…what?" She sighed, and shook her head. "I'll be right there, thanks," she replied reluctantly, before putting the phone in the cradle. "Tony?" she called. No answer.

Kristi turned around, and sighed, before walking up behind him, and swatting him on the back of the head. He jerked forward, and spun, frowning.

"Hey! You aren't Gibbs, what was that for?"

"You aren't paying _any attention_ to the rest of the team. I have to leave – your brilliant young son decided to pull a series of pranks at school," she grumbled, turning and moving back to her desk.

"He okay?" Kristi stopped, hand on her desk before turning to see him.

"Yeah, Tony, if you consider an immature and completely rude fourteen year old who can't understand what 'If you do that again, you're getting suspended' means, Okay," she answered, grabbing her keys and her bag. He frowned.

"_You_ okay?"

"Yep. Fine. Just fine. McGee, please make sure that Gibbs knows I had to leave," she said, moving to the elevator without waiting for an answer. Tony looked at her as she left, before turning to look at McGee, who averted his gaze back to the computer. Shaking his head, Tony turned his attention back to his monitor, placing his headphones on his ears.

[PAGE BREAK]

Tony approached his desk, water bottle in his hand, and paused when he saw McGee using his phone.

"Who's McGee talkin' to on my phone?" he asked, catching a glimpse of the serious look on his face. Ziva looked over.

"I have no idea…"

"Hang on a second, he's here. Tony," he said, standing up and holding out the receiver. "It's for you." Tony frowned, and shook his head.

"Who is it, McSmarty Pants?" he asked, putting the bottle down.

"Someone from Metro PD. It's about Kristi…there's been an accident." Tony was pressing the button and closing the elevator door before McGee could object.


	2. A Coma

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing Gibbs sipping his coffee. He stepped out, and rounded the corner. He slowed, and stopped, turning to see Tony's desk empty. Glancing at McGee, Gibbs pointed, and swallowed the small drink of coffee he had in his mouth.

"Where is DiNozzo?"

"Metro called…said Kristi was in an accident between here and Woodrow Wilson," McGee answered, aware Gibbs would understand. He frowned, and motioned to the computer.

"Keep track of what's happening there." McGee nodded, letting his fingers move across the keyboard. Gibbs turned to see Ziva, but didn't speak. She lifted her head from her computer, and cleared her throat.

"Abby said she has something for you," she said, nodding a little. He turned, pausing long enough to pick up the papers on his chair, before heading down to Abby's lab.

_**[PAGE BREAK]**_

Tony slammed on the breaks, barely putting the car in park before shutting it off and heading into the hospital. As he started passed the nurse station, one nurse, standing and reviewing a file, glanced up, and stepped around, tossing her file back before moving to catch up to him.

"Sir!" He stopped, and turned to see her, hopping a little on his feet. "Where are you going?" He jogged back, and sighed.

"Kristi Reis…she was brought here, car accident, where is she?"

"She's in the OR, and you cannot go in there. You'll have to sit and wait for the doctor – and I'll let him know you're here. What's your name?"

"DiNozzo…Anthony DiNozzo."

"Relationship?"

"…she's my fiancé." The nurse smiled at him, and patted his arm, before heading off to the OR. Tony groaned, and ran a hand down his face before moving to the waiting room, and pacing. Several other family members from various patients looked up at him, watching with tired eyes as he moved constantly back and forth between the chairs.

After a little while, an older woman looked up, and reached out, patting her hand on his arm.

"Please sit? Your pacing is making me nervous…" Tony glanced down, and blushed a little before lowering himself into a nearby empty chair.

"Sorry…"

"What's got you so worked up, dear?" she asked, placing her hands back on her lap. He ran his hands over his head, and sighed.

"My, uh…my girlfriend…some sort of car accident, but I don't know what's going on yet…and I can't go see her because she's in the OR." The woman reached out, and laid her hands over his arm.

"I'm sorry darling...keep faith, things will be okay," she spoke, nodding to Tony. He smiled a little, and nodded thanks, before a look of realization dawned on him.

"Oh sh-…I'll be right back," he said, jumping up and moving quickly out the doors.

McGee glanced over, and placed his phone to his ear.

"McGee."

"Hey, Probie…did Metro say anything about Noah?" McGee pushed a few papers out of his way, and nodded.

"Yeah. She was alone in the car, heading to get him – they said before she went unconscious that she said something about him and 'pick up'…so he might still be there."

"Call the school, find out. If he is, tell them to hold him, and you'll be there to pick him up." McGee frowned, and looked up at Gibbs as he peered over from his computer.

"Me? Why me?" Tony frowned, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Because I'm not leaving this hospital until I know what is going on with Kris, okay? Now go, Probie. Let me know," he answered, snapping his phone shut and placing it on his belt before heading back inside. McGee hesitated, before looking up at Gibbs.

"Tony…wants me to call Woodrow Wilson…find out what's goin' on with Noah…" Gibbs looked at him quietly, but nodded his head, and looked back at his computer screen.

_**[PAGE BREAK]**_

Tony lifted his head a little as the doors opened, and shuffled his feet across the elevator and onto the floor. As the doors closed behind him, he made his way to his desk.

"Dad?" He paused, and looked up, sighing when he saw Noah sitting at his desk. Slowly, the teen stood, biting his lip. "Where's mom?"

"…I thought it would be best if you talked to him," McGee said from his desk. Tony nodded, and reached out for Noah, before leading him up to the conference room. McGee glanced over at Ziva, but lifted his eyes as Gibbs stood and followed behind them both. "That…doesn't sound good."

Gibbs leaned against the wall, waiting until the conference room door reopened, and Noah and Tony walked out.

"DiNozzo?" Glancing upwards, Noah sighed, and shuffled towards the elevator, shoving his finger roughly into the button before pressing the button inside to head down to Abby's lab. Tony rubbed his neck.

"The doctor…said it isn't looking good. She's in a coma…her vitals are steady, but rather low…" Gibbs stood quietly, listening to Tony, but when he lowered his head, and it was apparent he couldn't say anymore, Gibbs reached over, and patted a hand on his shoulder.

"Get Noah, and go home for the night."

"If it's all the same Boss…I'd rather not be somewhere that I have nothing else to keep my attention." There was determination in Tony's voice, and Gibbs nodded, leading him back downstairs to their desks.

"McGee, contact Metro, tell them we're taking over the investigation." McGee looked up.

"We are?"

"McGee, she's one of OUR agents – it's our investigation."

"Right…of course," he said, ducking his head some as he lifted the phone and dialed.

_**[PAGE BREAK]**_

Tony watched McGee at his desk, eyebrow raised, as McGee talked with his head bent down and his hand scribbling rapidly on the small scrap of paper in front of him.

"Alright…I got it, yeah…thanks," he replied, putting the phone back on the hook.

"Something good, Probie?" Tony asked, leaning forward a little bit. McGee finished scribbling, before looking up.

"Something interesting. I barely got to tell them that we were taking over the investigation when the detective told me what the witnesses were saying about Kristi's crash." Tony stood, and crossed to McGee's desk.

"Don't make me torture you, McGee, start talking."

"Kristi was the only person on the road for a half mile, and three witnesses were on the sidewalk on her side of the road. As she reached the corner, her front tires were blown. They said it looked like someone shot out her tires. She skidded, and in the process of rolling, crashed into the light post in the middle of the block." Tony was pale, and he carefully moved back to sit in his chair, and McGee stood. "Both that intersection and the one she was headed towards have traffic cameras…" McGee continued, bringing an image up on the plasma. "The shot, according to the witnesses, came from Kristi's left, which would put the shooter…here," he said, clicking again, and pointing to the screen, which displayed a frozen image from only seconds prior to the shot.

Tony stood, and moved to stand beside McGee, as Ziva moved towards both of them. Near McGee's finger was a blurry image of a panel van, and partially visible beside it, crouching, with a weapon perched in his hands, was a man, taking aim directly at Kristi's oncoming car.


	3. Quite the Vicious Attack

Tony looked around the doorframe, and sighed, lowering his head. Kristi was still on the bed, still attached to the machines around her, and still partially covered in casts and gauze. Her eyes were closed, but a small bit of comfort was brought by the steady rise and fall of her chest, and the steady beep of the heart monitor.

"Mr. DiNozzo?" Tony turned his head as the doctor approached, and passed him, entering the room.

"Hey, Doc…How is she?"

"Steady…just like she was last night…and just like she was when you called this morning before coming by. And just like I told you, if _anything_ changes, I will call you, okay?" he asked, turning to see Tony before moving towards the bed and doing a quick check. Tony, sighing, ran a hand over his head, but nodded.

"I just hate this, Doc…" The doctor fixed the blanket covering her, before shooting a glance towards Tony.

"I don't know what good person would like this, Mr. DiNozzo. But I will call you. I promise." Tony nodded, but crossed the room, looking down at Kristi. For a moment, he was quiet, and still, but finally releasing a sigh, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

Ziva looked over her shoulder as the elevator doors opened, and Tony walked out, head down, hands holding the newspaper.

"Good morning, Tony," she spoke, glancing towards McGee.

"Morning, guys." McGee hesitated, but cleared his throat.

"How, uh…how's Kristi?" Tony paused, peering over the top of the paper at McGee, before tossing the paper onto Gibbs' desk and tossing his bag behind his own.

"Her vitals are stable, but still low. So…we're where we were yesterday," he answered, trying to keep his worry from showing on his face, or sounding in his voice.

"…Listen…Tony," Ziva began, casting a look towards McGee, and then across at Tony again. "If you want to talk…"

"DiNozzo! McGee! Ziva! MTAC, now!" Gibbs called from the stairwell behind them. Without hesitation, the three were on their feet and following his voice, up the steps and in the door before it closed.

Director Vance sat in the front row, eyes focused on Gibbs and his team as they entered the room. Gibbs lowered himself into a seat two down from Vance, glancing up at the rest of the team as they stood nearby.

"So from what I hear, we have a dead Marine in Autopsy, a near-dead Agent in the ICU, and a fuzzy video feed of who may have done _one_ of those jobs, am I right?" Vance questioned, his voice low and calm, but clearly unhappy.

"Abby's cleaning the footage now," Gibbs answered nonchalantly, looking up at the screen.

"Don't nitpick. Where are we with the dead Marine?"

"Ducky is getting us the autopsy report as we speak. And McGee is going down to the docks," he said, turning his head to see McGee, "to find out what sort of surveillance they have there." McGee looked at him, before jerking around behind Tony.

"On it, boss," he answered, moving quickly out the door.

"Keep me in the loop, Gibbs – I don't want to have to fight for everything," Vance ordered, before turning his attention away from the team and back to the screen at the front of the room.

The team took their seats at their desks, all except Gibbs, who stood for a second before heading down to Autopsy. Ducky glanced over as the doors open.

"What a surprise, Jethro – just as I finish the preliminary on our poor boy here."

"What happened to him, Duck?" Mallory looked up from her place on the other side of the table, next to Palmer, before smiling a little.

"I…will run these up to Abby," she said, holding up her camera. Palmer picked up a few specimen jars from nearby, and followed behind her, as Ducky chuckled.

"The fatal wound was this one, on the back of his neck. My guess is he was attacked, and stabbed here," Ducky replied, motioning to the abdomen, "and in the fight, the attacker stabbed him in the neck, and ended it. It was an incredibly vicious fight…if you'll look here, these wounds were rather average of a sharpened blade. But this one, on the neck…it's a bit more rough. So I looked into each of the front wounds. Apparently, the tip of the knife broke off. Palmer just took it up to Abby." Gibbs looked over the body, and nodded, sighing.

"Time of death?"

"Ah yes. I did double check once we got him back – my estimate puts it between midnight and three this morning," he answered.

"Keep me informed, Duck," Gibbs replied, patting him on the shoulder and heading back to the elevator.

Mallory chuckled, and shook her head as she pushed the cable into the camera.

"And ta-da, pictures of the vic in autopsy," she said, smiling and turning towards Abby as Palmer left the lab. Abby looked up, and grinned, moving towards her keyboard before opening a few of the images.

"Ooh. This is a nice shot…oh! So is this one!" She paused, and smirked. "Did you tell him to work it for the camera? Because he really is," Abby giggled, as Mallory grinned and laughed.

"Oh, of course. The dead guy struck so many poses, I could barely snap the picture fast enough."

"When you two are done ogling over pictures of our dead guy, I'd like to hear what you've got, Abs," sounded Gibbs' voice from the doorway. Both girls jumped to attention, before Mallory blushed, and ducked around Gibbs.

"Headed out of the way, sir," she said, disappearing into the elevator. He chuckled, but held out the Caf-Pow.

"She's sweet Gibbs…and takes great pictures," Abby said, taking the cup.

"The guy downstairs, Abby. What do you have?" She turned, still smiling, and skimmed her fingers across her keyboard.

"His name is Daniel Marlow. He was set to board the _USS Boise_ first thing this morning here in Norfolk. He is twenty five, and an only child – his father died ten years ago, his mother and step-father live in Newark, New Jersey."

"Any clue what he was doing on the docks last night?"

"All I know is what my lovely systems tell me, Gibbs."

"Let me know when you got something on that knife Palmer brought up," he said. As she turned to respond, she paused, and smirked. The room was empty.

"Always."

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Tony nudged the door closed behind him as Noah headed down the hall. He tossed his backpack onto the floor inside his room, and closed that door behind him. Tony paused, and sighed, running a hand over his hair before hanging up his jacket and moving into the living room. The two were quiet, and shut away from each other, for a little while before the bedroom door creaked open, and Noah shuffled into the doorway.

"…Dad?" He turned his head.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"…are we eating dinner tonight? Or no?" Tony chuckled a little, and tossed his phone to Noah.

"Order a pizza – we'll take it easy tonight." Noah smiled a little, and nodded, ordering before handing the phone back.

"Thanks," he said, not waiting for a response before moving back to his bedroom. Tony leaned back against the couch, and glanced at the empty spot near him.

"…You need to be here, Kris…This is just really difficult," he mumbled, leaning his head against his hand and shutting his eyes.

"_Tony…are you okay with this?" Kristi asked, lifting her head from his chest. He glanced down, head tilted._

"_With what? This Noah thing?" She chuckled, and sat up._

"_Yeah…This 'Noah thing'," she replied. Tony pushed her hair off her face, and leaned down to look directly into her eyes._

"_I'm still sitting here, aren't I?" She frowned._

"_Yeah…but I want to hear you say it." Tony sighed, and leaned back on the couch._

"_C'mon, Kris…"_

"_Tony…I mean it. How long was it before I got you to tell me how you felt about me?"_

"_Four months," he answered without hesitation, before pausing, and looking at her. She looked at him, smirking, with a knowing look on her face. "Alright…I get your point. Yes. I'm fine with this. It's kind of cool." Kristi stared at him for a moment, before laughing, and hooking her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug._

"_Anthony DiNozzo…" He looked at her, smiling, his hands around her waist._

"Pizza guy's here, dad," Noah's voice sounded as he gently shook Tony's shoulder. Tony groaned, and leaned forward before running his hand down his face.

"Wha-?"

"Pizza. Here. Need. Money." Tony looked up, before nodding, and digging out his wallet.

"Oh…here ya go," he replied, just handing it off as he clamped his hand over his face and yawned. Noah raised an eyebrow, but took the wallet and headed back towards the door. Tony, running his fingers through his hair, turned his head and patted his hand against the couch cushion where, moments before, he would have sworn Kristi had been sitting.


	4. Incredibly Common

Noah shoved his feet against the floor, and lifted them, smirking as he spun on the chair in Abby's lab. She looked over, and laughed softly, before reaching out and giving him a helpful push.

"How're you doing, kiddo?" she asked, smiling brightly. He clamped one hand onto the chair, and stuck out the other, catching a high-five as he spun.

"I'm fine! Hey, Abby?" he asked as he whirled.

"Yeah?"

"How'd you become a Forensics kind of girl?" he asked, slowing the seat and looking up at her with dizzy eyes. Laughing softly, she covered his eyes and leaned him back against the chair, shrugging.

"I worked at it. I've always loved this sort of stuff. I think it's so neat!" she said, glancing over her shoulder as Mallory walked in, pulling her camera off her neck. It was a rare moment that she didn't have it either around her neck, or in her hands, and Abby knew if that had been the case, the fun would have been over.

"Abby, this whole _place_ is neat," Mallory said, as Abby stepped away from Noah. He rubbed his eyes, and turned his head, grinning.

"How about you, Mallory? How'd you get a job like this?" he asked. With a smile, Mallory raised the camera and snapped a picture of Noah, before shrugging.

"I showed up," she said simply, sliding passed him to put the camera on Abby's desk.

"Seriously?" he asked, somewhat hopefully. The women looked at each other, and smiled, before Mallory shrugged slightly.

"Actually, sort of. Ducky is my Uncle, and I came to live with him about five years ago. To be completely honest, I think Ducky pulled strings to get me work. I don't mind – I'm just saying. I think the first time my pictures were big for NCIS was when…when I helped save your mom's life," Mallory said, turning away from Noah to look at Abby. Noah's smile faded a little, but he nodded.

"I remember that…"

"Within a couple of months, Uncle DD had me come to work with him, and instead of just coming to hang around with Abby, I got to go with them to a crime scene. I was the official picture taker. I have no idea how Ducky did it – and he won't tell me. You know how he is with secrets," she smiled, glancing over. Noah smiled once more, and pushed the chair into a spin.

"Yep! He still won't tell me what he's gettin' me for my birthday," he laughed, making the women laugh, and shake their heads.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

McGee rounded the corner, and paused, glancing towards Tony's desk. His head was bent down, his hands fiddling over the keyboard . For a moment, he didn't move, and simply watched, before Tony noticed, and stopped, looking up.

"What?" he asked, his word pointed. McGee turned his attention ahead of him, and moved to his own chair.

"Nothing, Tony, just looking."

"Well, look elsewhere, I'm working." McGee frowned, and looked over at his fellow agent, before shaking his head.

"Don't take this out on me, Tony, for once I didn't do anything."

"I'm not takin' anything out on you, but believe me I will if you don't get your butt back to work," he replied, pointing at the computer.

"DiNozzo!" Tony turned his head.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"You're with me, Abby's got something," Gibbs responded, passing between Tony's and Ziva's desks, Caf-Pow in hand, on his way to the elevator.

"On your six, Boss," Tony answered as he leapt up and followed.

McGee looked over at Ziva and shook his head.

"I just keep telling myself that he's my friend and going through a rough patch," he said, calmly, like a mantra, before shaking his head again and looking up as the elevator opened behind Ziva. Mallory stepped out, and glanced around, before smiling and moving towards his desk.

"Hey, Tim." He smiled, and stood, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Mornin', Mall. Anything new from Abby while you were down there?" he asked, eyebrow raised. She shook her head, and sighed.

"Nothing…I'm getting ready to go to the hospital to visit Kristi…Do you want to go?" she asked, dragging her fingertips through her brunette locks to move them from her face. He looked at her for a moment, before giving a reluctant sigh and shoulder drop.

"I'd love to go, but I can't…you know," he said, motioning to his computer.

"Oh…right…anything you want me to take there?" McGee put his hand into a drawer near his right shin, and pulled out a picture, handing it up to her.

"Abby made it, gave it to me for framing," he said, smirking slightly. Mallory looked at the picture, and snickered, rolling her eyes. It was a small collage of images of the team, but the picture of Tony in the middle was the only one not simple, and smiling.

"When on Earth did she take this one?" she asked, turning the frame and pointing.

"Abby got a new cell phone, took our pictures so they would pop up when we called her…that's the face Tony gave when she took his picture." Mallory laughed softly, and reached out, hugging McGee.

"I'll make sure to explain that when I put this on her nightstand…I'm gonna get going before Gibbs comes back up and scares me off…er…again. I'll see you later," she said, kissing his cheek before turning and heading towards the elevator. McGee smiled, but after a second, stood.

"Mallory?" She turned, eyebrow raised. "…Dinner tonight?"

There was a sweet smile on her face as her cheeks flushed red, and she nodded her head.

"Sure!"

"Great! I'll, uh, call you when I get done with work…can't promise anything fancy," he admitted. She held up a hand, and shook her head.

"I completely understand. I'll talk to you later," she replied, giggling as she waved and climbed into the elevator. McGee grinned, and lowered himself back into his chair, letting his fingers return to work across the keyboard.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Abby's head bobbed to the pulsing beat erupting from her speakers, unaware of the ding of the elevator. Tony and Gibbs strolled in, but slowed, and rubbed their ears, as Gibbs stood behind her.

"Abby!" She paused, tilting her head, before turning and grinning.

"Hey, Gibbs!" He sighed, and lowered the Caf-Pow, before moving his hands around in front of him to indicate the music was too loud. Abby blushed slightly, but chuckled, returning an apology with her hands, before tugging her remote out from beneath her computer monitor and turning the music down.

"What've you got, Abs?"

"Sometimes I wonder if you have a camera positioned in here so that you can watch me while you're gone," she said, turning back to the computer. "I mean, how else can we logically explain how you always know whe-"

"Abby…the knife," Gibbs prodded, smirking slightly.

"Right. I looked around to find out if this blade tip was common to any specific kind…unfortunately, this is an incredibly common type, that goes with an incredibly common knife – a hunting knife. A regular, 'buy me in the hunting section at the store' hunting knife. The only DNA I could pull off the blade was from Marlow, so I'm guessing that _if_ the killer touched it – which they probably did if they bought and owned the knife – they wiped it clean before they used it on Marlow."

"Any chance we can get a fingerprint, or DNA, or anything, off the body?" Gibbs asked, looking up at the screen with the images of hunting knives.

"Well, I can always try. As soon as Ducky's finished up with Marlow, I'll see what we can do," she said, bouncing a little to turn and look at him.

"Good – I want _something_ that points _somewhere_, before the day is over, Abs," he said, patting her shoulder and moving back out of the lab.


	5. Ringtones and A Print

Tony ran his fingers through his hair, and sighed, before looking around the room. Ziva sat at her desk, phone against her ear, using her free hand to punch in numbers on the keypad. For a moment, he didn't blink, and he didn't say anything, but as McGee walked between them, he blinked, and looked over.

"Whaddaya got, Probie?" he asked. McGee paused, and turned his head.

"Uh…coffee?" he answered, holding up his hand to show the cup he held. Tony smirked, and raised an eyebrow.

"And did you bring me some?" Tony questioned, pushing himself up from his chair. As he did, the elevator dinged behind Ziva, and McGee glanced over, raising an eyebrow.

"Noah?" he asked. Tony turned his head, only to see Noah sheepishly approach his desk.

"Hey, McGee…Ziva…erm…dad…" he finally said, glancing up carefully at Tony.

"Noah? What are you doing here, shouldn't you be at school?" Tony asked, eyebrow raised and frown on his lips. Noah shifted from one foot to the other, and readjusted his bag on his shoulder.

"Well…yeah, I _should_ be…." Noah answered quietly, peering over his shoulder as Gibbs stepped up behind him with a coffee cup in his hands. Gibbs paused, glancing between Noah and Tony, before rounding the corner and moving to his desk.

"Noah, why don't you tell your dad why you aren't," he suggested, though his tone wasn't giving the option of _not_ telling Tony, before he put his weapon in his drawer. Noah shifted from one foot to the other, and looked down at the floor.

"Uh…well…ya see…Mrs. Hagen asked us to do this assignment in Math this morning…and it was really difficult, and she didn't want to help, she wanted us to figure it out on our own, and I couldn't, and I tried, and she didn't listen to me when I told her that, and she thought I was lying, and…" Gibbs cleared his throat, and moved over, setting a cell phone down on Tony's desk.

"He told her to shove it." Surprise twisted Tony's face, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You told her…"

"To shove it. She wasn't listening, and I…I got angry!" Noah finally admitted, but still stared at the floor. Tony looked at Gibbs, and pocketed the phone he sat down without asking, before moving around and taking Noah by the arm.

"You're going to sit with Abby," he said, his voice unpleased as he led him towards the elevator. Once the doors closed, however, and they were moving, Tony snorted, and patted Noah on the shoulder. "I can't say your mom would approve…but kiddo, I hafta admit, I really do," Tony laughed, shaking his head. Noah looked up, and grinned.

"So…I'm not in trouble?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh, no, you're still in trouble…but not as bad as it could be," Tony answered, leading him into Abby's lab.

Abby glanced over, and smiled.

"Hey, bud! What're you doing here?"

"He told the teacher to shove it," Tony said, finally pulling out the cell Gibbs had handed him. Abby high-fived Noah, snickering, before looking over.

"What's that?"

"I…have no clue, Gibbs just handed it to me." He flipped it open, and looked at it, but sighed when the background image loaded. "It's Kris' cell phone," he murmured, turning it to show Abby the background photo, of Kris, Abby, and Mallory. Noah took a seat on the stool, and looked over.

"Oh…yeah…the secretary called her phone instead of yours…Gibbs answered it, it's why he came and picked me up," he said, pushing his feet and spinning some. Tony shrugged a little, and pressed a few buttons.

"She has a nice phone, Tony…what's my ringtone?" Abby asked, stepping away from her computer to peer over his shoulder. Tony pressed a couple buttons, and snickered as he played Abby's ringtone, and The Airborne Toxic Event began to play. Abby, snickering, nodded. "Sweet, sweet…how about you? What's yours?" she asked, although Tony was already looking, and hit play without seeing the name. His lips bent, and formed a frown, as he looked at the phone, and then Abby.

"Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Are you kidding me?" he asked, eyebrow raised, as she began to laugh. "…Oh…wait…that's not my ring…that's her basic..." he realized, scrolling some more. Abby chuckled a little more, before jumping slightly and moving back to her computer.

"Are you done havin' fun, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, entering the room. Snapping the phone shut, he pocketed it, and stepped away.

"Done with fun, boss," he answered, averting his eyes. Gibbs, smirking slightly, leaned around Abby and set down a Caf-Pow.

"What've ya got, Abs?" he asked. She smiled, and pressed a few keys.

"I got one print off of the body, off his wrist, so I'm guessing that his attacker grabbed him to push him away. I'm running it now, but as usual, you'll know when…"

"You've got somethin', Abs," Tony interjected, pointing over as the computer beeped. Both Gibbs and Abby looked at the monitor, then over at Tony, then back.

"Good call, Tony," she said, pressing a couple more buttons, and bringing up the fingerprint match. "Matched, to a Joel Pomeroy, former Army private, dishonorably discharged and then arrested for 'allegedly' selling weapons to terrorists, though the charges were dropped because there was no evidence, and all witnesses disappeared," Abby said, hitting a few buttons, and moving towards her printer.

"I need an address, Abby," Gibbs said, moving up to the screen to look over the file. She grabbed the page she printed, and handed it to him.

"Right here, Gibbs." He kissed her cheek, before motioning for Tony, and heading out of the room.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Gibbs climbed out of the car, and glanced across the roof of it up at the house. Once Ziva climbed out of the passenger seat, he rounded the trunk, and led the way to the door, rapping his knuckles on the wood.

"Just a second!" sounded a voice from inside. Gibbs glanced at Ziva, and the two listened carefully for a moment. After a little silence, a window was shoved open, and without hesitation, the guns were drawn, and Ziva led the way into the house. When they spotted the kitchen window and door open, and their suspect gone, Ziva continued through the house, as Gibbs turned, and headed back outside. Just off from the backyard was a garage, and as they approached it carefully, they could hear someone inside, attempting to start the car but with no luck. Ziva ducked around behind Gibbs, and moved to the open door behind the car, stepping up beside it, and pressing her gun against his neck.

"Move at all, and I will shoot you here." He stopped, wide-eyed, and slowly raised his hands from the ignition. Gibbs, unable to help himself, smirked, and shook his head.

"You're lucky she didn't shoot you – since she told you not to move, and all," he said, stepping around the car and grabbing his arms. "Out of the car, Private," he said, as Ziva opened the door, and stepped back, without lowering her weapon.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Tony opened the door, and looked into the dark room as he closed it behind him. Ziva and McGee stood near the glass, and on the other side, Gibbs sat quietly across from Joel Pomeroy, ignoring questions about why he'd been arrested.

"Where's Noah?" Ziva asked.

"I took him to the hospital, to sit with Kris until we finished here," he said, rubbing his neck and crossing his arms over his chest. "Pomeroy say anything yet?"

"He's only been asking why he's here," McGee answered, looking back through the glass.

Gibbs opened the file that he had in his hands, and glanced at the sheet on top.

"Says here you were discharged from the Army, and arrested, for selling arms to terrorists," he said nonchalantly, not looking up.

"It was never proved – no witnesses, no evidence," Pomeroy answered. "Why am I here?"

"There were witnesses…they all disappeared, which is why you were released, and not charged," Gibbs corrected him, not answering his question.

"Sir, why am I here? You still haven't told me," Pomeroy pressed, frowning as he rubbed his hands.

"You're here because we found your DNA on our murder victim," Gibbs answered. Pomeroy paused, and tilted his head.

"Who?"

"A Navy sailor named Daniel Marlow." As he spoke, Gibbs laid out a photograph of Marlow, and he watched Pomeroy's expression flash from confusion to familiarity and back without a pause or any hesitation. "And you've seen him before, haven't you?" Pomeroy looked up, knitting his eyebrows.

"N-no. No, of course not…I haven't been military for several years, and I was never Navy, so I don't know any sailors…" Tony smirked as Gibbs slapped the table, and leaned forward.

"Your fingerprints were on his body, mind telling me how that's possible if you've never met or seen him?" he asked, angrily.

"I love it when he does that," Tony snickered, glancing at McGee and Ziva before peering back through the glass.

Pomeroy leaned back in his chair, obviously unnerved, and sighed, looking down.

"…O-Okay…I saw him…but I didn't kill him."

"Explain," Gibbs ordered, narrowing his eyes and pushing his chair away from the table.

"…Well…I…I was on the docks, with a few other guys…and this…this sailor showed up, and refused to leave. I took him by the wrist to try and lead him off so we could talk, so I could convince him to leave…but he pulled back, and the other guys…one of the other guys pulled out a knife and killed him…" Pomeroy said, shaking his head and rubbing his hands over his hair.

"What other guys?" He shook his head more.

"I don't know their names…"

"Then why were you on the docks with them?" Pomeroy was quiet, shaking his head. Gibbs moved around the table, and leaned down by his ear. "You had better start telling me who they are, or you're going to go away for a very, very long time for murder."

"No! I didn't kill him!"

"Then **why** were you on the docks that night?" he snapped. Pomeroy cleared his throat, and looked down.

"I…I was going to meet with some guys from overseas…some…weapons dealers…" he finally admitted, closing his eyes and not lifting his head to see Gibbs. Gibbs glanced over his shoulder towards the glass, and moved back around to his side of the table, opening the file and putting the picture of Marlow away.

As Gibbs exited the interrogation room, and moved around to enter the observation room, Tony's phone began to ring at his hip, and he glanced down, turning to see Gibbs before answering.

"DiNozzo?" he said, stepping towards the door as he looked down. There was a few seconds of silence, before Tony's face visibly paled, even in the dark, and he bolted out the door, not stopping even when Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee called after him.


	6. Flatline

The nurses jumped out of the way as Tony raced down the hall, ducking and maneuvering out of the way to keep from crashing into anyone. He slid to a stop in the hall, and looked up as Noah stood shakily near the closed door of Kristi's room

"Noah?" He turned, paled, eyes red, before moving towards Tony and throwing his arms around him. "What happened?"

"She…she just stopped breathing…her monitors all flat lined…" he said, his voice muffled by Tony's shirt. Turning his head, Tony glanced through the door and at the curtain surrounding the bed, able to see the doctor and a nurse moving and talking, but unable to hear them through the door. "They kicked me out, closed the door and the curtain…they won't say anything to me, I don't…she can't die, Dad, she can't," he said, his voice fragile and breaking as he clutched to Tony. Tony moved to the chairs near the door, and took a seat, putting Noah in the chair next to him before embracing him again.

Time dragged as nurses entered and exited Kristi's room, not one stopping to check on either of the men nearby. Neither moved from their chairs as they watched, but Tony became more and more irritated and impatient as time wore on, until finally he released Noah, and stood up, pounding his hand against the door. The doctor looked over, and nodded towards the nurse before moving out of the room.

"Yes, Mr. DiNozzo?"

"What the hell is going on in there? Isn't it normal practice to at least come out and say 'Hey, she's flat lined'?" he exclaimed, frowning. The doctor held up his hand.

"Yes, when we have the chance to come out and explain, we do. But we've spent the last couple of hours making sure that she is stable…she flat lined twice, Mr. DiNozzo…but she's back now. We're going to monitor her for a few hours, so you can't go in there until we're sure she's stable…"

"You're joking right? That's ridiculous – Kristi isn't going to die now, she has a family that loves her and a job that needs her and friends that adore her."

"Standard procedure, Mr. DiNozzo, I'm sorry. You're welcome to stay, but you can't go into the room with her until we give you the okay," the doctor apologized, before going back into the room and closing the door. Tony stared at the door, before glancing over at Noah, and reaching for him.

"Come on…we're going to go back to NCIS for a little bit, we'll be back, I promise," he said, before Noah could argue.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Tony sat Noah at his desk, before heading off towards MTAC. He quietly stepped inside, and saw Gibbs and Ziva standing on the floor, McGee over at the computers, and stopped, looking at the screen.

"Thanks for the heads up Gibbs. They are on their way to NCIS now, as you asked."

"Thank you, sir," Gibbs said, pulling the headset off and putting it near McGee as the three left MTAC. Tony stepped out of the room, and cleared his throat, causing them to stop and turn.

"Tony…is everything alright?" Ziva asked, eyebrows knitted together.

"She…flat lined. Twice…the doctor won't let us see her…so I brought Noah back here so he could eat…" Gibbs looked at him for a moment, before looking over at McGee.

"McGee…go get dinner," he said, patting Tony's shoulder before heading down the steps. McGee looked around, before nodding.

"Anything you want in particular, Tony?" He shook his head, but motioned towards his desk.

"Ask Noah…" McGee, nodding, followed Gibbs down the steps, but Ziva reached up, and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Tony…while you were at the hospital…we found that the men who did this to Kris were the men that Pomeroy had met on the docks. They're on their way in now, and Gibbs is going to find out why they did this," she said, hoping to ease the pain on his face. Tony nodded, but didn't say anything more than a faint 'Good' before heading down to Noah with Ziva behind him.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

McGee glanced over his shoulder as he stood in line, and smiled as Mallory scooted up beside him.

"Sorry…I couldn't get the car to start," she admitted, shaking her head. "You on dinner duty?" she asked. He took her hand, and nodded.

"Yeah…we found the guys who shot out Kristi's tires, so we're waiting for them to get to NCIS. Tony and Noah are there, too…I guess, uh…I guess Kris flat lined. She's back, but they both seem shook up really bad." Mallory looked up, sadly, and McGee hooked his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as they inched up in line.

"…she's gotta be okay, Tim…it's not right. She's my friend, she's a friend, a mother, a really good NCIS agent…she's smart, she's funny. It's really cruel if something ha-"

"Mall…she's going to be fine. She has to be fine…" he reassured her, pressing her a very soft and very sweet kiss on her forehead as they reached the counter.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Mallory held the pizza boxes as the elevator doors opened, and McGee held them as she stepped out, following him to their desks. She set one box on Tony's desk, where he sat with Noah, and the other on McGee's desk, as McGee passed around drinks.

"Any word?" he asked, glancing over at Tony, who only answered with a shake of his head. Abby walked around the wall, and pulled up a chair to join the rest of the team for dinner. McGee gave her a small smile, but otherwise, the team sat quietly, and ate without saying a word.

Once the pizza was gone, and the mess was cleared, Tony folded up his jacket, and laid it on top of his desk, letting Noah rest his head on it while they waited. Gibbs headed to the elevator, opening his cell phone as the doors closed behind him. Mallory looked around the room, shifting slightly in her seat, before standing, and crossing to Tony's desk, leaning down to give him a small hug, before she headed down the hall. Abby did the same, hugging Tony, before following Mallory, and leading her down to her lab.

It wasn't too long before Gibbs came back up the elevator, this time accompanied by two men in handcuffs who weren't talking, and only moved out of the elevator before Ziva crossed towards them, and forced them onto the floor. She led them down to Interrogation Rooms 1 and 2, separating them, and leaving one to squirm as Gibbs went in and sat with the other.

Tony and McGee entered the observation room, letting Noah stay at his desk to sleep, and watched Gibbs enter Room 1, Ziva in tow. They listened as Gibbs tried to break him, and as Ziva successfully did, and he admitted that he was the driver of the van they'd seen on the surveillance footage. Ziva, with a smirk, lowered her head near his, and put a hand on his shoulder, gradually squeezing.

"Why did you shoot at this car?" she asked, tapping her free fingers against the image of Kristi's car. He flinched, and cleared his throat.

"…we thought she was onto us, and following us…we took a couple of detours, and caught her at the intersection…" Ziva released his arm, but Gibbs leaned against the table.

"She is an NCIS agent, who was on the way to pick up her son from school. And you are going away for a very long time," he said, motioning for Ziva and heading out the door. Tony looked at McGee, and patted his arm.

"…Good job, McGee," he said, before moving to the door. McGee reached out, and touched his shoulder.

"Tony…" He turned, hand on the doorknob. "…she's going to be fine…she has to be." Tony gave him a small smile, and nodded a thank you, before exiting the observation room, and heading back down the hall.

McGee stayed, and watched the partial interrogation of the man in the second room, before they confronted him with what they had received from the other man, and when he knew he was busted, McGee, with a chuckle, exited the room too, and headed to Abby's lab, to find her and Mallory in the other room, a box opened up on the table.

"Hey…what's that?" Abby looked up, and smiled slightly.

"I found it under my desk tonight…It's from Kris. She must've left it down here before…" She trailed off, but looked over. "Look at what she bought me, McGee," she chuckled, standing and stepping away from the desk to show him her shoes. He looked down, and widened his eyes, before laughing softly. Abby stood in black and heels, but unlike regular heels, the back was a thick black stiletto, and the rest of the shoe was more like a boot, with a black top and white sides. As she turned, he got a glimpse of the underside, which was red, with a picture of a skull.

"Wow, Abby…" he said, laughing softly. "…All the more reason for her to have to be alright, you have to thank her for those," he added, moving to look at them a little better. Abby moved back around, and hugged McGee tightly.

"She will be okay…I've been saying that to myself since it happened. She will be okay – she has to be." Mallory stood up from her seat, and moved towards them, as Abby lifted an arm and pulled her into the embrace, as well.


	7. Awake

For the rest of the week, the team kept reminding each other that things would be just fine, and that everything was going to work out – as it usually did. Noah spent most of the time he was awake at the hospital, beyond ecstatic when they told him and Tony that they could, again, go into her room and sit with her, instead of having to sit in the hallway and wait for something to happen.

As Friday morning came around, Tony shuffled out of the bedroom, and into the bathroom, hearing Noah's alarm sound in the other room. He rushed his routine up a little, cleaning up and getting partially dressed before Noah climbed out of bed, and moved into the kitchen.

"C'mon, kiddo – get up and get dressed. We'll grab breakfast on the way to the hospital," he called, digging out a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and setting one on the table before heading back into the bedroom to finish getting dressed.

Noah dragged his feet from the bedroom to the bathroom, and back from the bathroom to the kitchen. He had tugged on a pair of jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt that Tony had bought him a few months earlier, but that he hadn't yet worn. Tony reentered the kitchen in a dark grey suit, tugging at the jacket slightly as he looked into the kitchen.

"Ready?" Noah looked up, and nodded, grabbing his water and following Tony out to the car.

As they pulled into the lot, Tony's phone rang, and he glanced down, seeing the number flashing on the screen as the one for the hospital. His stomach twisted as he refrained from answering it, and just scooted inside with Noah, quickly moving towards the nurses' station.

"I'm Tony DiNozzo…I think someone just tried to call me, about Kristi Reis, is everything okay?" he asked, looking over at her. She looked up at him, and typed a few things into her computer, before smiling, and nodding.

"Yes, Mr. DiNozzo, everything's just fine. You can go in and see her," she said, writing down a number and handing it to him. "She's just been moved into a new room…one floor up," she added.

Tony looked at the number, and nodded, leading Noah to the elevator and going upstairs. His stomach was still twisted, and, after hearing she was in a new room, Noah's did, as well. He followed his dad down the hall cautiously, not sure he was ready for something else to happen.

As they approached the new room, they heard the doctor talking inside, and both gulped before stepping in. Kristi's voice perked up their ears, and seeing her sitting up in bed perked their spirits and untwisted their stomachs.

"Can I get you anything before I go, Kristi?" the doctor asked, smiling. She slowly and slightly shook her head, patting his hand.

"No…thank you…" she spoke, her voice soft and weak.

"…Mom?" Noah asked, approaching the bed. She turned her head, and smiled, lifting her hand shakily for his.

"Noah…honey, it is so good to see you…" she said, keeping her voice low as Noah leaned in and hugged her carefully, nestling his head into her shoulder. The doctor stepped around the bed, and stopped next to Tony.

"She woke up early this morning…the nurse and I have been in here for the past few hours to get her up to speed, give her water, make sure she's fine. She will be fine, Mr. DiNozzo…just be gentle," he said, patting Tony's shoulder before leaving the room.

After a moment of silence, Noah released Kristi, and moved around the bed to pull up a chair on her other side. She chuckled softly, and turned her head again, smiling over at Tony. She didn't speak, though, and he didn't move, as the two simply looked at each other. The scraping of the chair that Noah pulled up to the bed interrupted the quiet, and caused Tony to blink a few times, shaking his head as he walked up and took her hand.

"…Hey, stranger," he said, leaning his head against hers as he hugged her just as carefully as Noah had. She raised an eyebrow, but lifted her other arm to rest on his shoulder as she hugged him back.

"Hey, Tony…" she replied, tilting her head to kiss his cheek. He took a seat on the bed beside her, and brushed her hair off her face, smiling.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

The three sat in the room, Kristi speaking softly if she spoke at all, and listened as Noah and Tony talked, instead. Neither of them told her Noah had been suspended, but instead told her about the case, and about anything else they could, that she missed while she was out. Several times, Tony's phone buzzed on his hip, but instead of glancing, he simply reached down and shut it off, sending it to voicemail. After the fourth time, Kristi reached out, and laid her hand over his.

"Go to work…they need you there," she said, smiling softly. He shook his head.

"Nope, I need to be here…"

"Why? I'm awake…I'm going to be fine. Doctor even said so. So go to work…I'll be right here when you get finished," she said, running her finger against his cheek. Tony looked at her, and sighed, but nodded.

"I'll be back as soon as I'm finished," he said, kissing her gently, patting Noah's shoulder, and heading out the door.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Mallory spun in Tony's chair, head leaned back, humming to herself.

"Havin' fun, Mall?" McGee asked, eyebrow raised as he looked over.

"Tons. I like Tony's chair – it's got a nice butt groove," she chuckled, smirking.

"Well, that's because Tony's got a big ol' b-" McGee began to tease, as the elevator doors opened, and Tony strolled out with a cup tray and a Caf-Pow in his hands. He moved to his desk, setting everything down, before removing the cups and handing one to Ziva, one to McGee, and one to Mallory, setting one on Gibbs' desk, and heading off with the Caf-Pow. The three looked at each other, then over their shoulders.

"Who is he and what happened to Tony?" Mallory asked, pointing after him and looking at the cup in her hands. McGee shrugged, and picked up his phone, dialing Abby.

Abby pressed the button on her phone.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, Abby…Tony's on his way down with a Caf-Pow…and he just brought us all coffee…see if you can find out what's goin' on," McGee said, confusion evident in his voice.

"Nothin's 'going on', Probie…Kristi woke up, it's a good day," Tony answered, handing the Caf-Pow to Abby as he entered the room. She turned, putting the drink on her desk, before throwing her arms around Tony.

"We knew it! We knew she'd wake up!" she said excitedly. Tony hugged her back, smiling and nodding.

"I know…Thanks, guys," he said, before reaching down and hanging up on McGee.

McGee put the phone in the cradle, smiling.

"Kris is awake." The girls grinned.

"Good! Tonight we should go see her before we go to dinner," Mallory said, smiling and shrugging with a silly look on her face. Laughing softly, McGee nodded.

"Sounds like a plan, Mall." Gibbs rounded the corner from the elevator, and looked around as he picked up the coffee on his desk.

"Who brought this?" he asked, sipping it.

"Tony. Kris woke up," McGee answered, smiling. A smile formed on Gibbs' lips as he nodded, and took a seat, leaning back to slowly sip his coffee.


	8. Everything That Matters Is In This Room

Mallory made herself comfortable in her chair across from McGee as they sat at the restaurant. A candle was lit and set in the center of the table, and their menus laid on the table before each of them. The waiter finished writing down drinks as the two opened their menus.

"She looks good, all things considered," Mallory said, patting his hand as she looked up. McGee lifted his head, and smiled.

"She does. I don't think Noah has any plans of going too far away from her for a while…same with Tony." Giggling, Mallory shook her head.

"I'm surprised Tony hasn't cuffed himself to her yet," she admitted, shrugging and looking down at the menu.

McGee chuckled, and shook his head, too, but didn't look back down. Instead, he held onto her hand over the table, and bit his lip, a look of contemplation on his face. After a moment of silence, Mallory looked up, and raised an eyebrow.

"McGee? Everything alright?" she asked, squeezing his hand. He blushed, but nodded.

"Yeah…just thinking…"

"About what?" He had a sheepish look on his face, but he shook his head.

"Nothing…I was gonna ask you something, but it can wait." She lowered her menu, smiling.

"Ask."

"I'll ask later. I promise," he said, seeing the look of skepticism on her face. She sighed, but smiled, giving his hand another squeeze.

"Alright. I can accept that."

_**PAGE BREAK**_

McGee's fingers were twisted in Mallory's hair as they lay in his bed, the blanket over his back. Her fingers dug into his glistening shoulders, her lips brushing over his ear as his brushed over her neck. Their breathing was labored as his body moved against hers in the darkness of their bedroom, the only coming from the moon, through the slats in his window blinds.

He finally dropped beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her body against his again.

"…I love you, Mallory," he said softly, kissing her gently on the lips. She smiled, and leaned up, returning the kiss before nudging his nose with hers.

"I love you too, Tim…" she said, nestling her head against his. The two curled up together under the blanket, catching their breaths and cooling off, enjoying each other's company, for a few minutes, before Mallory gently poked him in the chest. "…Tim?" she asked finally, looking up.

"Yeah, Mall?" She smiled.

"You were going to ask me something at dinner," she said softly, nudging his head. He laughed softly, and nodded, wriggling slightly under the blanket before moving a hand over to his jeans that lay on the floor by the bed.

"Yeah…Yeah I was, wasn't I?" he asked, moving his hand around in the dark for moment. She propped herself up, eyebrow raised, as he stayed quiet for a moment before finally flipping on the bedside lamp.

"Tim? Everything okay?" she asked, uncertain. He turned to see her, and smiled, leaning it to place a kiss on her lips.

"Everything's fine. I wanted to ask you something, still do…."

"Well, then, what is it?" she prodded, chuckling and poking him. He pulled her down against him again, and slid something into her hand beneath the blanket.

"…Will you marry me?" he asked quietly, as she lifted and opened her hand to see a silver ring with a sapphire on it in her palm. Her face paled, and she stared at it for a minute, before looking up at him with a look of surprise in her eyes.

"…R-Really?" she asked softly. He smiled hopefully, and nodded.

"Will you?" She looked back down, and moved her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger, before reaching over him to turn off the light, and pressing her lips against his.

"Yes," she murmured, climbing on top of him as the room went dark.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Tony glanced over from his place in the doorway, and smiled. Kristi was sitting up, with help from the mechanical bed, head down, reading the book in her hands, and Noah was fast asleep in the chair beside her bed. He stepped in, and partially closed the door, walking over.

"Hey." She looked up, and smiled, putting the book on the table by the bed.

"Hey, Tony…I'm going to guess you're staying the night, too?" she asked, motioning to the pajama bottoms and plain grey shirt he was wearing. He chuckled, and shrugged, sitting on the bed beside her.

"I wouldn't be the only one…I thought you'd like to have this back," he said, placing her phone in her hands. She looked down, and chuckled, shaking her head.

"Thanks, Tony…" He leaned over, and kissed her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"…Hey, Kris?" She lifted her head, looking over at him. "…what is _my_ ring tone? I played Abby's, and I played your default, but I really couldn't find mine…" he said, causing her to laugh, and cover her mouth with her other hand.

"Really? You couldn't find yours, even though it's under your name?" she asked, looking down and scrolling through her phone to find his name. He smirked, and rolled his eyes, as she pressed a button, and held it out for him to hear.

"…e_verything that matters is in this room, when you lie next to me, breathing the air I breathe, we don't have to speak, just be. Our love's a precious thing, don't want to waste a day, or one more minute without you in it. Life is so sweet when you lie next me. My heart is yours, but every part of me still wants to give you more. More time to love, 'cause you never know when life will leave us. I want to take in all the beauty here, let the world around us just disappear, when you lie next to me, breathing the air I breathe…" _Tony lifted his head from the phone to see her as she stopped it from playing, and put it on vibrate, placing it on top of her book. As she turned back towards him, he cupped her cheek in his hand, and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, and holding the kiss for a moment. She returned it, wrapping her fingers around his wrist, until he pulled back, and she leaned her forehead against his.

"…What was that for?"

"I love you, Kristi. I know I don't say it enough, but I do." She blushed, and pulled him towards her again, hugging him tightly.

"I know you do, Tony…I figured if you didn't, you wouldn't be here," she said, smiling. He pulled back, and pushed her hair off her face, smiling.

"You should get some rest," he said, reaching for the bed controls, and lowering the bed for her. She giggled, but nodded, getting comfortable as the bed flattened, before reaching for his hand.

"You need to sleep too…come here." He smiled, and climbed up beside her, putting an arm under her head and holding her against him.

"Get some sleep," he said, putting her head against his shoulder, and closing his eyes. Kristi nuzzled against him, and hooked her arm around his waist, falling asleep as she listened to him hum softly.

**Author's Note:**

Kristi's ringtone for Tony is Kellie Coffey's "When You Lie Next To Me." Just in case you were wondering. ^_^


	9. I Promise

McGee and Mallory scooted through the front doors, and down the hall, pressing the button for the elevator. After a moment, the doors opened, and they stepped in, watching as the doors began to close.

"Wait, Probie, hold the door," Tony called, prompting McGee to stick out his hand to stop the doors, and Mallory to press the Door Open button. Tony leaned against the door, keeping them open, as Kristi pressed her cane against the floor, and stepped in, as well.

"…Hey, guys," she said, moving and hugging them both as Tony stepped in and let the doors close. Mallory grinned, and returned the hug, before stepping back.

"You aren't coming back to work, are you? I mean…you've only been awake a couple of weeks, and out of the hospital for a few days," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no…please…I'm just coming to make sure there's nothing else in my desk, and to talk to Vance," Kristi replied, chuckling, and giving Mallory's hand a squeeze. Tony lifted his eyes from the other side of the elevator, and smiled at her, glancing over as the doors opened. Kristi stepped off first, using her cane and Tony's hand as support, before stepping to the side to let the other two off, too.

"Good…I'm glad you're here, though…we have an announcement to make…we just thought it best to do once we were all together," McGee replied, smiling at Mallory as they moved towards his desk. Kristi looked up at Tony, eyebrow raised, but shrugged slowly, following him and sitting in his desk chair.

Once the team had been gathered, McGee reached out for Mallory's hand.

"Just…a small announcement, I guess," he shrugged, blushing. She turned a light pink, and looked around, before glancing over at Abby, who had a knowing – yet happy – look on her face.

"Spit it out, McGee," Gibbs said, from his place behind his desk. McGee, chuckling, nodded.

"…We're engaged," he said quickly, glancing around the room. For a moment, no one said anything, but Gibbs stepped up first, and stuck out his hand.

"Congratulations, Tim," he said, shaking McGee's hand, before placing a light kiss on Mallory's cheek. She blushed, glancing up at McGee, before turning her head to see Ziva move up.

"Congratulations, both of you," she said, hugging them both gently, before stepping back towards her desk. Tony stepped away from Kristi and shook McGee's hand, smirking, before he let go and put his arms around Mallory.

"…He's a good man, Mallory," Tony said, quiet enough that McGee couldn't hear. "Congratulations." She smiled, patting his back before he pulled away.

"Thank you, Tony," she replied, smiling sweetly as she looked at Kristi. Rather than stand, Kristi extended her cane, and chuckled.

"Good luck, both of you," she said, poking them both with the end of the cane, and prompting a laugh from Mallory and a silly smile from McGee.

Ducky moved around Tony's desk, and tightly embraced them both rather happily. Once he released them, and patted McGee on the shoulder, he stepped out of the way, and turned his attention to Abby, just as the others had. It wasn't a secret that Abby and McGee used to be together, and it was just as far from being a secret that for years, they didn't like seeing the other date. This was a first for McGee, and she didn't change the knowing look that was on her face as she stepped in front of them. She glanced at McGee, then at Mallory, and let a small smirk curl on her black lips.

"I hope you both know that if either of you does something stupid to each other during all of this…no one will be able to trace anything back to me," she said, pointing her finger mock-threateningly between them. Mallory raised an eyebrow, before laughing softly, as Abby hugged them both tightly, smiling. "Congratulations, you two…really. You're so good together!" she said, before stepping back. "And it's _about time_, Tim!" she added, playfully punching him in the shoulder. Mallory snorted, blushing and covering her mouth as she laughed, and McGee rolled his eyes, laughing softly as he pulled Abby in for another hug.

"Thanks, Abs…it means a lot," he said, smiling over at Mallory.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Kristi closed Noah's bedroom door, and slowly made her way down the hall into the room she shared with Tony. Once she was close enough, she leaned her cane against the night table, and climbed slowly onto the bed, tugging the blanket over her legs. The water in the bathroom shut off, and Tony stepped out in his jeans, clicking off the light and moving towards the bed.

"I can't believe McGee finally asked her," she said, pulling the blanket down for him. He tugged off his jeans, and climbed into bed next to her.

"I can't believe they've been together so long," Tony replied, shrugging and smirking. "You know, it being McGee and all."

"You're such a jerk sometimes," Kristi chuckled, shaking her head as she turned off her light and slid down against the pillow. Tony looked over at her, and frowned.

"You okay, Kris?" he voiced softly, moving his hand and brushing her hair from her forehead. She lay quietly for a moment, before nodding, and shrugging, sitting up a little bit.

"Yeah…Yeah, I'm fine, Tony," she said, reaching over and turning on the radio before carefully rolling onto her side, away from him.

"And I'm Gibbs. You aren't fine, something's bothering you." She shook her head against the pillow.

"I'm fine. Really…just exhausted. And if you were Gibbs, something tells me you'd be building a boat in the basement…" she teased gently. Tony, cracking a small smile, moved some on his side of the bed, causing Kristi to lift her head, looking over her shoulder at him. "What're ya doin?" she asked curiously. After a moment, Tony rolled back over, and kissed the side of her head.

"…I was going to ask, I promise, but I just had to find the right piece…" She raised an eyebrow, but looked down at the box in his hands as he wrapped his arms around her, and placed his lips by her ear. "_Farà lei mi sposa_?" he whispered to her. She widened her eyes when he opened the box to reveal the gold ring, and blushed.

"…Oh, Tony…it's beautiful," she said, reaching down to remove the ring from the box. He smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"…Is that a yes?" She chuckled, and turned her head to see him.

"…_Bien sûr je vous épouserai_," she replied, kissing him gently. "_L'amo_…" He smiled, and moved so she could roll over and face him.

"_L'amo_," he replied, before smirking softly and casting a quick glance at the clock. "…_Possiamo ordinare una pizza_?" he asked, eyebrow raised, voice low. Kristi pulled her head back, and bit her lip, trying not to giggle.

"…Did you just ask me about pizza?" He grinned but just bounced his eyebrows, making her laugh and hug him.

"Figured it went with the 'speaking in another language' roll we were on," he answered, shrugging and chuckling as he kissed her cheek.

"Just shut up and lay down, DiNozzo," she said, shaking her head. He lay beside her, pulling her carefully against his chest, before kissing her forehead, and closing his eyes, resting his head against hers.

_**PAGE BREAK**_

Tony rolled over in bed, draping his arm across the bed, and stretched, squeezing his eyes closed. For a moment, he lay still, before he realized that he was the only one in the bed. Using one hand to rub at his eyes, he pushed his other hand into the mattress to sit up.

"Kris?" he asked, looking around. When there was no answer, he climbed off the bed, and carefully opened the door.

The living room light glowed down the hall, and, still slightly groggy, he dragged his feet down the carpeting, poking his head around the corner. The table lamp was on, and boxes were partially covering the coffee table, pictures splayed around them. Kristi sat on the corner of the couch, an album open in her lap.

"…Kris, what are you doing up? It's…" he began, glancing around behind him at the clock on the wall, "…it's three in the morning." She didn't lift her head, but he saw her eyes close, and her head drop slightly.

"…I just…I couldn't sleep. The shit that's happened over the past couple of months, it's made me think of…of how much I missed my dad." She lifted her head slightly, and turned the page. "And…that makes me think of how it was all a cover. He wasn't who I thought he was, he never had been. Selling arms overseas? He knew better, and he did it anyways…and I didn't know…" she said. Her voice was low, and sad, and Tony walked over, lowering himself onto the couch beside her.

"Kris…your dad loved you. I only met him a couple of times, but I knew that. He may have been dishonest elsewhere, but he did love you." She shook her head, turning the album slightly for him to see, tapping her finger against a picture of her and her father.

"Maybe…but he _lied_ to me, Tony. However long he had his fingers in all that money, he lied to me. He never spent a dime of it, he borrowed money he claimed he could pay back but never did, but because he was my father, and I was doing alright, I didn't press and I didn't care. He was all I had, and he decided that it would be okay to do something like that…and because he lied, and he did what he did…" She closed her eyes, and snapped the book shut, dropping it onto the table. "…he never gets to meet his grandson, and he never gets to see his daughter get married…" She looked up at Tony, biting her lip. "He…doesn't get to walk me down the aisle when I marry the only boyfriend he met that he liked." Tony moved, and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his arms.

"…C'mere, Kris," Tony murmured softly, unsure of what to say to make her feel even a little better, as he ran his fingers through her hair. She let her eyes close again, and rested a hand against his chest, sighing softly, sadly.

"He was the only family I had that cared about me…and after he met you, Tony, he couldn't stop telling me how excited he was about us getting married, even though that wasn't anywhere on the horizon for either of us. He was excited about the marriage, about getting to walk his little girl down the aisle, about holding his grandbaby, when that came around." She bit her lip, and moved, carefully kneeling beside the table as she began boxing up the albums and the pictures again. "And the day that Noah was born, as happy as I was to have him, my heart broke…I was finally seeing that the things my father had been so excited about for so long ere things that he was never going to see, though at the time I didn't know it was partially his fault. It broke my heart to see Noah when he was born, because he not only didn't have his father, but he didn't have his grandfather, and I thought that he never would."

Tony watched her, letting her carefully put things back in the boxes, just as they had been when she removed them, knowing it wouldn't do any good if he kneeled beside her to help. She barely had her eyes open, and her voice was very soft, but it was shaken, and sad, and it brought a helpless look to his eyes.

"I felt…better…a little, anyways, after I found you again, and you were happy about Noah, and things were okay. For the first time in nine years, things were _okay_, and I felt _good_ about the life I'd chosen for us. And then I found out why I lost my father." At this, she turned, and lowered her butt to the floor. "I found out what he did, and why he really died that day. It wasn't an accident, it wasn't 'caught in the crossfire', it wasn't just the way it went down. That man walked into the bank that day with _every intention_ of killing my father. And when I found out the truth about who he was, about what he did…that mending that happened because of you was fractured, and I didn't know what to think. And I was so hurt when I saw Noah after you saved my life, because it was just like the day he was born…only this time I got it to go away, because this time I still had you, and this time you weren't leaving."

"Kristi…your father made mistakes…and he did some bad things," Tony said, his voice soft as he brought himself to the floor beside her, "but no matter how badly he messed up, he did love you. Anyone could see that, just by the glint in his eye when he talked about you, or when he looked at you, or when he was with you. I knew that within five minutes of meeting your father…and I'm a thick-headed jerk," he added, smiling slightly at the half-smile it brought to her lips. "He screwed up big time, and because of it, he hurt the only person in _his_ life that _loved_ him…but it doesn't have anything to do with you." She lifted her head to see him, before moving her arms around his shoulders, hugging him carefully.

"…can we go back to bed now, Tony? I don't wanna think about my father anymore," she said softly, biting down on her lip. He nodded, helping her to her feet as gently as he could, before wrapping an arm around her waist and shutting off the light as they headed back into the hallway.

"…Just think, though, Kris…when we get married…Gibbs can always walk you down the aisle," he said, smirking as he closed the bedroom door behind them.

**Author's Note**:

_Farà lei mi sposa? _Is Italian for "Will you marry me?".

_Bien sûr je vous épouserai_ is French for "Of course I'll marry you."

_L'amo _is Italian for "I love you."

_Possiamo ordinare una pizza?_ Is Italian for – that's right – "Can we order a pizza?".

Just so we're clear, though, I used for these translations – I'm still learning French, and I can't speak Italian. ^_~


End file.
